Seiko Watches

The Real Nature of Time

Seiko watches represent technological perfection, breath-taking precision and the real nature of time. Seiko means both, exquisite and successful. During its long-lasting existence, the Japanese brand has truly justified its name. This manufacturer with the highest degree, in literally every watchmaking area, sets standards for the entire industry.

The company was found in 1881, as the watch and jewelry shop in Tokyo, called “K. Hattori”. Eleven years later, it started manufacturing wall and pocket watches, under the name Seikosha. In 1913, the company produced the first wristwatch made in Japan. Finally, in 1924, the name Seiko was adapted to the new line of timepieces.

Ever since, in order to reach high-ends of precision, durability and functionality, the Japanese watchmaker has been experimenting with new technological solutions. This difficult undertaking was more than successful. Seiko watches were the first ones in many categories and received a number of worldwide recognitions.

In 1969, the Japanese brand launched the Astron, the world’s first quartz timepiece. The seventies brought new worldwide innovations: Seiko LCD quartz timepiece with a six digit display, the world’s first multi-functional quartz watch and the first titanium diver watch.

In the 1980’s, Seiko implemented amazing technological innovations in its products and made a real revolution in the watchmaking industry, with the world’s first TV watch, the first watch with a sound recorder and finally, Seiko was the first that implemented computer functions in a watch.

Kinetic Revolution and Spring Drive

The amazing decade was completed with another revolutionary product –a Kinetic timepiece which is the world’s first intelligent analog quartz watch, completely powered by a body movement. During the next decades, the line of Seiko Kinetic watches has been enlarged with the Ultimate Kinetic Chronograph, the Kinetic Auto Relay, the Kinetic Perpetual, the Kinetic Direct Drive and others.

In the 1990’s, Seiko launched the Scubamaster (the world’s first computerized diving watch), the Seiko Termic (the first thermo-electric watch in the world) and maybe the biggest company’s achievement ever – the world’s first Spring Drive watch. The Spring drive is a name for a revolutionary mechanical movement, with the accuracy of quartz watches.

This mechanism, powered by the main spring, has a great power-reserve of 72 hours and is presented as the only watch whose hand’s motion reflects the true nature of time. The most famous watches with this movement are the Spring Drive automatic, the Credor Spring Drive Sonnerie, the Spring Drive Moon Phase watch, the Spring Drive Chronograph and the Spring Drive Spacewalk (specially designed for the use in space).

Among Seiko’s ‘first in the world’ watches are 3-band radio wave controlled watch, a timepiece with electrophoresis display module – “Spectrum”, and an EPD watch, with an active matrix system.

Seiko and Sport

Great reliability and precision of Seiko watches were recognized by the world of sport and the Japanese watchmaker was selected to be the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games in Tokyo, Sapporo, Barcelona, Lillihammer and Nagano.

Seiko produces sport watches in several collections – Sportura (the leading Seiko sport collection, inspired with motor-racing), Ananta (a collection with the ultimate goal – to have the most advanced technology in the world), Velatura (a high performance marine collection), and Arctura (a special design for Seiko Kinetic technology). All Seiko watches are crafted entirely in-house.

The most famous brand’s watch collection is the Grand Seiko. The first timepiece from this luxury line was reelected in 1960. The style of the watch has remained unchanged, but it has been technically advanced to the perfection. Elegance and great precision of the Grand Seiko are result of the company’s attention to craft the best luxury watches in the world.

We have already written about the Spring Drive mechanism. One collection is especially dedicated to watches with this advanced feature. The last Seiko’s wrist watch collection is the Premier, the leading brand’s line of dress timepieces which is inspired with the neo-classical architecture.

Seiko was also a part of the movie glamour. Various models were worn by a famous actor, Roger Moore, in his legendary James Bond roles. Also, Sean Connery had a Seiko watch on his wrist in the Bond’s ‘Never Say Never Again’.